Direct Service

Program Overview

The Scouting program is available to United States citizens and their dependents living in other countries. The Transatlantic Council is headquartered in Germany and serves U.S. Scouts in most of Europe. The Far East Council is headquartered in Japan and serves several Far East nations. Direct Service serves all other BSA Scouts living outside the United States.

Administration

Administered by the International Department of the Boy Scouts of America

Provides some of the same services that a local council provides, including:

Approving advancements

Maintaining records

Operating an Order of the Arrow lodge

Organizing national and world Scout jamboree participation

Processing registration and magazine subscriptions

Processing supply orders

Providing information and program resources

Meetings and activities are basically the same as those in the United States.

Minor modifications are sometimes necessary due to circumstances that occur when living in other countries.

Scouting activities may include other Scout associations for events like jamborees, rallies, and community projects.

Serves youth through chartered organizations.

Units organize their own activities to earn money for:

Special programs

Equipment

Service projects

Membership

Approximately 2,300 youth members and 1,000 adult leaders are in Direct Service units or are registered as Lone Scouts in isolated areas of the world.

Members are the children of:

International businesspeople

Diplomatic corps officials

U.S. military personnel

100 Cub Scout packs, Boy Scout troops, and Venturing crews in more than 40 countries on five continents

These countries have one or more Scouting units registered through Direct Service:

Angola

Argentina

Australia

Azerbaijan

Bahrain

Bangladesh

Bolivia

Brunei

Bulgaria

Canada

China

Costa Rica

Cuba

Dominican Republic

Ecuador

Egypt

Hong Kong

India

Indonesia

Israel

Jordan

Kazakhstan

Kenya

Kuwait

Malaysia

Mexico

Nigeria

Panama

Qatar

Russia

Saudi Arabia

Senegal

Singapore

South Africa

Sumatra

Trinidad and Tobago

Ukraine

United Arab Emirates

Uruguay

Order of the Arrow

The Gamenowinink Lodge No. 555 is under the supervision and administration of the International Department.

The lodge averages 200 members.

The name of the lodge means “On the other side of the Great Sea” in Lenni Lenape.